Desk with sliding keyboard tray and sliding top section

ABSTRACT

A desk or workstation for use with a keyboard or other manual data or control input device with a sliding portion of the top of the desk or workstation is disclosed. The sliding portion of the desktop retracts into the body of the desk at a downward angle to allow a user access to a lower level keyboard tray mounted beneath the sliding portion of the desktop. When the keyboard is not in use, the sliding portion can be deployed thereby protecting and concealing the keyboard or providing the user with a writing surface.

[0001] This provisional application relates to a full patent application for a sliding-lid computer desk made on Oct. 19, 2000. The patent application number is Ser. No. 09/692,484. This provisional application is supplementary to that full application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Patent application Ser. No. 09/692,484 describes a computer desk with a section of sliding lid which provides a free area of desktop when in the raised position and access to a keyboard when in the retracted position. The lid slides below the desktop at a shallow angle. This characteristic is achieved by the use of slides and hinges attached to the desk and to the sliding lid in such manner that when the lid is lifted at the front until it is parallel to the slides the back of the lid is lower than the edge of the opening in the desktop and it is able to move rearwards under the desktop.

[0003] The claims of said previous application refer to slider assemblies, each comprising a stationary component attached to the desk and a sliding component slideable upward and forward to achieve said characteristic. In the descriptive part of said application only slides designed for drawers are described. The present application makes further reference to slides other than those designed specifically for drawers, which are referred to in said previous application in the general terms above. Said characteristic is achievable by the use of slides with a small moving part sliding along a longer fixed track (for example pocket door slides) or any slides consisting of fixed and moving parts and using any hinges which allow the lid to be lower than the edge of the opening when the lid is lifted at the front.

[0004] Said previous application refers frequently to hinges attached to the slides and to the lid by means of an intermediate member. Said application also states that the intermediate member may be omitted and replaced by good hinge attachment features connecting the lid directly to the sliding components of the slides. The present application includes a diagram showing hinges attached directly to the lid and to the slides. The hinges may be attached directly to the slides by means, which include riveting or welding or screwing them to the ends of the slides or indirectly by means of an intermediate board or plate.

[0005] Said previous application refers particularly to butt hinges because they are inexpensive and adequate. Other pivot-type hinges, not necessarily referred to as butt hinges, may also be used. Some European-type hinges with complex hinging characteristics may also be satisfactory with suitable slides.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006]FIG. 1 shows in perspective a desk with a viewing screen or monitor on the top and a keyboard on a shelf or pullout tray below an aperture in the top, which is covered by a lid. This is the position of the lid when the desktop is required for writing or other use.

[0007]FIG. 2 shows the desk of FIG. 1 with the lid retracted below the top towards the back. This is the position of the lid when it is desired to use the keyboard at a comfortable user position close to the desk and monitor.

[0008]FIG. 3 shows schematically a section through the desk at XX in FIG. 1 with the lid covering the stationary keyboard shelf.

[0009]FIG. 4 shows schematically a section through XX in FIG. 2 with the lid retracted to provide access to the stationary keyboard shelf.

[0010] Exhibit A—copy of specification and drawings of pending U.S. utility patent application Ser. No. 09/692,484

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0011] The lid A is mounted via a pair of hinges C to a pair of slides E. These may be drawer slides, pocket door slides or any slides with a component fixed to the desk structure or to the desktop and a moving component fixed via hinges to the lid. The slides may be standard commercial slides or specially manufactured or modified slides. The slides may be oriented on edge as is common for drawer slides or alternatively may be rotated by ninety degrees so that they are oriented in what would be “bottom mounting” mode if they were supporting drawers. Depending upon the orientation the slides may be supported on the sides of the structure or on an angled support board fixed to the structure or on an “understructure” suspended from the desktop or on an alternative support system e.g. brackets.

[0012] In use, when the lid is over the keyboard as in FIG. 3, the lid rests on left and right side supports, omitted from the figure for clarity, affixed to the desktop or to the structure on each side of the opening. The supports must be configured to permit clearance for extending and retracting the lid. When the user requires access to the keyboard the user lifts the lid at the front until it is parallel to the slides and then pushes it towards the back of the desk. The user may first pull the lid towards him to provide clearance at the back of the opening or the back of the opening and the back of the lid may be chamfered slightly. The positioning of the hinges is arranged such that the back edge of the lid is lower than the edge of the opening when the lid is pivoted at the hinges and parallel to the slides. With thick lids the edge of the opening may be chamfered to provide clearance. The lid follows the slides downwards and backwards assisted by gravity. At the retracted end of the slide travel the front edge of the lid is near the back of the opening and level with or below the desktop as in FIG. 4. At this position the lid rests on lower supports (omitted from the diagram for clarity) or on a chamfered end of the front side supports.

[0013] When the lid is required by the user to be over the keyboard for use as a writing surface etc. the user pulls the lid forward and upward. The lid moves smoothly until the slides reach full extension. The lid then hinges down to rest on the supports.

[0014] In FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 the hinges are fixed to the slides without any intermediate component. The slides are connected by a board or plate G which prevents the slides from moving independently. When the slides and hinges are connected by means of an intermediate component, said intermediate component may serve to prevent independent movement of the slides and G may be omitted.

[0015] If pocket door slides and commercial European-type hinges are employed, as is usual for pocket door installations, the hinges may impede the lid from butting against the desktop in the closed position unless they are specially selected or designed to avoid this. It should be noted that whereas in FIG. 4 the retracted lid is between the slides and the desktop, if European-type hinges, designed to allow the lid to butt against the desktop, were employed they could be arranged so that the retracted lid would be below the slides and the slides could be supported from above.

[0016] Slides must be chosen to meet the requirements of each design of desk. In general, desk designs which call for a large sliding lid require a larger amount of lid travel, this will be best achieved by the use of slides which comprise a short moving part sliding along a longer fixed part. 

Among my claims are:
 1. A desk or workstation for use with a keyboard or other manual data or control input device comprising a desktop surface mounted on a support structure, cutout in the front edge of said desktop surface approximating or larger than a typical computer keyboard, an opening in the front side of said support structure underneath said desktop as is common to conventional desks for accommodating a drawer and chair when occupied by a user, left and right side linear slider assemblies attached to said support structure below the level of said desktop or to the underside of said desktop and having a rearward slope of more than zero degrees and less than 90 degrees but typically having a rearward slope of fifteen degrees, said slider assemblies being drawer slides, pocket door slides or any slides with a component fixed to the desk structure or to the desktop and a moving component fixed via hinges directly to the lid or indirectly to the lid by means of an intermediate component, left and right side hinges attached to respective left and right side slider assemblies so as to be slidable between a forward and upward extended position and a rearward and downward retracted position, a desktop subsection sized to conform to the size of said cutout of said desktop, said subsection pivotally attached to said slider assemblies by means of said hinges so as to be tiltable when said hinges are in said extended position between a horizontal position substantially level with said desktop and a front edge raised position, said hinges and said desktop subsection in said front edge raised position being retractable on said sliders to said retracted position. 